Adding the Amazon Associates search tool switches on Blogger's new editor

This article explains the effects of using Blogger's Amazon Associates integration on your Blogger editor, and how this can be undone.

Sept 2011 Update:

It now appears that the integration between Blogger and Amazon is history.

I've left this article here to avoid broken links, but it's no longer relevant. See building your own Amazon advertisements for update information about putting Amazon ads into your blog.

What is the issue?

In Dec 2009, Blogger added an Amazon Associates option to the Monetize tab. I've written about this previously in Amazon Integration is with Amazon.Com.

An issue for some Bloggers is that turning on Amazon Associates Product finder automatically switches them over to the updated editor.

New Blogger Editor (compose mode) with the Amazon Product Finder

Some people (like me!) don't have a problem with this and barely noticed the change.

But for people who were using the old editor, it may appear that the Amazon integration has changed or removed a number of functions, including the Post Preview option. And because the editor-selection is for your Google account, not for individual blogs, the functions are removed from all your blogs, not just one.

What to do about it:

Firstly note that one of the effects of activiating the Amazon Product Finder is turning on the new editor for your entire Google account.

Even if you don't turn on the Amazon Product Finder, you can still use the Monetize / Amazon Associates function to link your blog with Amazon. You will have to build your links manually (as explained in Changing the Look of Amazon advertisements) - and this may be a good idea anyway, as it gives you more control over how they look, and is essential if you're readers aren't mainly from countries serviced by Amazon.com.

Secondly, if you have already turned on the Amazon Product Finder and want to remove it all its side effects:

Under Monetize / Amazon Associates, remove the tick beside " Enable the Amazon Product Finder for the Blogger Editor "
Under Settings / Basic, choose the Old Editor

Settings / Basic option for choosing which Blogger editor to use